On July 25, 1974, Mike Johnson faced Hank Aaron with the bases loaded in the ninth inning. It was a very exciting and tense moment. It was also his very first game in the major leagues. The pitcher, who had a rare underhand throwing style, spent his whole big league career with the San Diego Padres in just one season. He has sadly died at the age of 75.

Johnson’s professional baseball career lasted six seasons from 1969 to 1974, per Jon Paul Hornstra of Newsweek. Though he spent the majority of his pro career in the minor leagues, Johnson retired as a major league pitcher for the Padres. Born in 1951, he was only 23 at the time of his retirement.

As a minor leaguer, Johnson pitched in 274 games, recording only one start. He also executed 57 saves during his time as a reliever in the minors.

Born in 1951, Johnson grew up in Faribault, Minnesota. An all-conference athlete in basketball, baseball, and football, Johnson stepped into professional baseball with the Cincinnati Reds. At the graduation party of Faribault High School, Reds’ scout Bob Burke offered him his first pro contract. He was inducted into his high school’s Hall of Fame in 2017.

After navigating through multiple seasons in the minors, Johnson finally made his MLB debut with the San Diego Padres on July 25, 1974, per Max Effgen on X. As a bullpen arm, he made 18 appearances for the Friars before he retired in the same year on October 2. At the time of his retirement, the unique submarine pitcher had a 0-2 record with a 4.64 ERA.

Johnson’s debut game in the MLB was one of the most memorable ones in his short career. He took the mound in the bottom of the ninth against the Atlanta Braves. With two outs and bases loaded, Johnson was pitching to Davey Johnson, while Hank Aaron waited at second. But he ended the inning by inducing a groundout, securing a 0-0 tie, taking the game into extra-innings. However, the match ended in a loss as the Braves scored a run in the tenth.

Three months later, in October, Johnson’s baseball career ended after he threw a scoreless inning against the San Francisco Giants. He was pulled from the game to make room for Dave Winfield. Later, Winfield went on to enter baseball’s Hall of Fame wearing the Padres hat.

The oldest among his siblings, Johnson was born in Slayton, Minnesota, but soon moved to Faribault with his family. He grew up in Faribault and attended high school, where he received the Bruce Smith Award for his sports and academic performance.

After his retirement, Johnson worked in construction and service trades before he moved to Carefree, Arizona, with his wife, Janna. There, they built a pest control service business for homes and commercial organizations. Their service, Wild West Exterminating, flourished so much that Mike Johnson changed his name to Wild West. He was dedicated to his work and reportedly served customers for weeks even after his passing.

He is survived by his wife, two sons, and five siblings. Surrounded by his family, Johnson breathed his last on May 20, 2026.

The news of Johnson’s demise comes days after the baseball community lost the legendary Eddie Haas.

The Atlanta Braves lost former manager and player Eddie Haas

Eddie Haas’ tenure with baseball lasted 50 long years as he contributed to the sport in various capacities, including player, executive, manager, coach, and scout. Haas was 91 at the time of his passing on June 4.

Haas began his baseball journey with the Chicago Cubs in 1957, but was traded to the then-Milwaukee Braves the following year. During his brief MLB career that ended in 1960, Haas only played 55 games. Hitting .243, he drove only 1 homer and 10 RBI as a major leaguer. However, he also spent several years playing in the minor leagues before and during his major league stints.

Haas’ impact on the Braves stretched far beyond his years as a player. He had two separate stints as a manager in the Braves’ farm system (1966-1973 and 1978-1984).

Haas served as a coach for the Braves before being promoted to manager in 1985. He managed the team for 121 games, replacing former manager Joe Torre.

Being the last living member of their 1958 NL Pennant-winning team, Haas’ death marks the end of an era for the Braves.